# The Desert Rose Band

The Desert Rose Band was an American country rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman (formerly of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers), with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar, JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts until disbanding in February 1994.

## Formation

The Desert Rose Band was formed in 1985 by frontman Chris Hillman (born December 4, 1944), formerly a member of The Byrds, and co-founder, along with the late Gram Parsons of the country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers. Additional members included John Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956), who was mainly responsible for the instrumental arrangements of the songs, and Herb Pedersen (born April 27, 1944), responsible for the vocal arrangements. Jorgenson and Pedersen sang three-part harmony with Hillman. Each Desert Rose Band album featured Pedersen on one lead vocal. Pedal steel player JayDee Maness (born January 4, 1945), drummer Steve Duncan (born July 28, 1953), and bassist Bill Bryson (1946–2017) rounded out the group.

## Career
### 1987-1989: The Desert Rose Band and Running

Their eponymous debut album was issued in 1987 on MCA/Curb. It contained their first hit "Ashes of Love", which was originally a Johnnie & Jack song from the early 1950s. It was the second time Hillman and Pedersen recorded "Ashes of Love," the first being on Hillman's just prior album Desert Rose on the Sugar Hill label. The Desert Rose Band's debut also featured a remake of Chris Hillman's "Time Between" which he previously wrote and recorded as a member of the Byrds, as well as the band's first chart-topper "He's Back and I'm Blue".
Their second album Running (1988) featured the John Hiatt-penned hit "She Don't Love Nobody", "Running", and a remake of Buck Owens's "Hello Trouble".

### 1990-1993: Pages of Life, True Love and Life Goes On

The third album Pages of Life (1990) featured a remake of "Desert Rose" as well as a remake of Pedersen's folk song about his daughter "Our Baby's Gone" which was originally recorded on his 1976 album Southwest. JayDee Maness left the band in 1990 and was replaced on pedal steel guitar by Tom Brumley whom Jay Dee replaced in the Buckaroos. Maness would again play with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on their post Desert Rose Band duo albums Bakersfield Bound and Way Out West.
The fourth studio album, True Love, was released in 1991. It was followed by 1993's Life Goes On, released only in Europe. Several prominent country and bluegrass musicians made guest appearances on Life Goes On including Sam Bush on fiddle, Tony Rice and Larry Park (of Boy Howdy) on guitar, and Al Perkins on dobro. Before the release of this final studio album, was the 1993 compilation Traditional.
John Jorgenson and Steve Duncan left the band in 1991. Jorgenson went on to form the Hellecasters with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue; Duncan also joined the Hellecasters. John Jorgenson is currently playing gypsy jazz with his John Jorgenson Quintette. Chris and Herb recorded an acoustic album called The Other Side in 2005. They continue to tour as an acoustic duo. Former Buck Owens steel player Tom Brumley played with Joey Riley's band in Branson, Missouri. He died on February 3, 2009.

## Awards

The Desert Rose Band was nominated for two Grammy Awards, in the category Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: the debut album The Desert Rose Band (1987), and the single "She Don't Love Nobody" (1989).
The band was a three-time winner of the Band of the Year/Touring Award presented by the Academy of Country Music Association, in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
The band earned the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" in 1989, and was nominated Vocal Group of the Year in 1989 and 1990.
Broadcast Music Inc., recognized "One Step Forward" and "Love Reunited" for having achieved the benchmark of One Million Broadcast Radio Performances.

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Peak positions |
| Title | Album details | US Country | US |
| The Desert Rose Band | Release date: June 2, 1987 Label: MCA/Curb Records | 24 | — |
| Running | Release date: September 6, 1988 Label: MCA/Curb Records | 26 | — |
| Pages of Life | Release date: January 16, 1990 Label: MCA/Curb Records | 17 | 187 |
| True Love | Release date: October 1, 1991 Label: Curb Records | — | — |
| Life Goes On | Release date: September 21, 1993 Label: Curb Records | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart ||||

### Compilation albums

| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
| Title | Album details | US Country |
| A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits | Release date: January 4, 1991 Label: MCA/Curb Records | 44 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||

### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak positions | Peak positions | Album |
| Year | Single | US Country | CAN Country | Album |
| 1987 | "Ashes of Love" | 26 | 37 | The Desert Rose Band |
| 1987 | "Love Reunited" | 6 | 5 | The Desert Rose Band |
| 1987 | "One Step Forward" | 2 | 2 | The Desert Rose Band |
| 1988 | "He's Back and I'm Blue" | 1 | 1 | The Desert Rose Band |
| 1988 | "Summer Wind" | 2 | 2 | Running |
| 1988 | "I Still Believe in You" | 1 | 1 | Running |
| 1989 | "She Don't Love Nobody" | 3 | 4 | Running |
| 1989 | "Hello Trouble" | 11 | 11 | Running |
| 1989 | "Start All Over Again" | 6 | 3 | Pages of Life |
| 1990 | "In Another Lifetime" | 13 | 18 | Pages of Life |
| 1990 | "Story of Love" | 10 | 6 | Pages of Life |
| 1991 | "Will This Be the Day" | 37 | 44 | A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits |
| 1991 | "Come a Little Closer" | 65 | 67 | A Dozen Roses – Greatest Hits |
| 1991 | "You Can Go Home" | 53 | 64 | True Love |
| 1991 | "Twilight Is Gone" | 67 | 82 | True Love |
| 1993 | "What About Love" | 71 | — | Life Goes On |
| 1993 | "Night After Night" | — | — | Life Goes On |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||

### Music videos

| Year | Video | Director |
| 1988 | "He's Back and I'm Blue" | |
| 1988 | "Summer Wind" | |
| 1989 | "She Don't Love Nobody" | Bill Pope |
| 1990 | "In Another Lifetime" | Bill Pope |
| 1991 | "Will This Be the Day" | Gerry Wenner |
| 1991 | "You Can Go Home" | Gustavo Garzón |
| 1993 | "What About Love" | Michael Merriman |